When a young, 25 year old English woman started making plans to travel around the world, she went to Lloyd’s (of London) for her insurance policy. Lloyd’s was established in 1774, and has insured thousands of people; writing some very unusual and notable policies. However, Sarah Outen was one of the most difficult individual policies they had taken to task in more than twenty five years.
Lloyd’s has insured some very famous people, and their body parts. For example, Bruce Springsteen and Celine Dion have insured their vocal cords, Tina Turner insured her legs, and a famous food critic insured his taste buds. They have insured smiles, eyes, fingers, breasts, hair, vehicles and buildings, including the World Trade Center.
Lloyd’s Underwriter, Jonathan Thomas, commented that writing this personal coverage policy for Outen was very challenging. She will be taking a two and a half year trip around the world; down the Thames River and across the English Channel by kayak, bicycling through most of the European country, Canada and New York, and rowing across the North Pacific and North Atlantic. That is just part of the places she will be traveling.
She’s taking this trip alone, which makes it even more dangerous; but there are several other factors that come into play when trying to place a value on someone’s life. This journey is over two years long; she will be exposed to the elements, possible malnutrition, and other physical and mental endurances.
Thomas worked with Outen getting details of the trip, the countries she would be in, and what methods she would travel by, and created for her the perfect coverage. This isn’t the first time Sarah has set off on a great adventure; she claimed title’s as the first woman, and youngest person ever, to row solo across the Indian Ocean.
